A Place in the Sun

[bloodyhairy]

I have a love/hate relationship with this show. Mostly I love it, and the escapism it represents. It also makes me question my own future, and whether I could see myself retiring abroad (currently single!). Most of the presenters are very good and amiable, although do try a little hard to 'push the product', often when the person viewing has no interest at all!
What gets on my nerves, is the buyers' obsession with space. Why would you need a huge kitchen, or 4 bedrooms, when it's just going to be you and your other half knocking about there?
And what do you expect for 50 grand?!
And then when they view, it's like they've lost all sense of their own identity; they're literally looking at it through their own children and grandchildren's eyes. One woman rejected a property because it had a shower, and no bath for her grandchild Just how often do you think they're going to be visiting, for this to emerge as a major and insurmountable issue?!
And other went round mentally kidproofing the place, even though there were no grandchildren on the horizon yet Get a life!!!
Don't get me started on those who treat the whole thing as a jolly, with no intention to buy. You can see the presenters visibly sag, when they say 'what we're going to do, is go home and weigh up the finances, then return to the area in a few weeks.'
Worse still, are those who put in eyewateringly low offers, even though the place (invariably in Spain) has already seen its price slashed, and is already way under budget. Where is the integrity???
What are your thoughts on this programme?

I have noticed when they film at apartment complexes there is no one around. Imagine how noisy the pool area will be when everyone is there! Obviously they empty the area before filming. There is never any mention of on going service charges either. Don't get me started on those couples that think their kids and grandkids are all going to come over and visit.

I saw one with a couple who had been coming to Spain for twenty years and had never tried tapas or cooking with olive oil....

On one rare Greece episode recently (it's always Spain!), one woman - when asked if she spoke Greek - said you get by just by pointing at stuff!
To be fair, many of the participants don't seem the sharpest tools in the box ...

I also have a love / hate relationship with it. Your budget is £100k, this is on at £115k, but you can get it at the top of your budget. What do you want to offer? £12.50. Because it's in foreign-land and therefore it must be cheap / they must be ripping you off. Grrr. Or, the people moving for the weather, who insist on a "British" layout. With central heating. And a fitted kitchen. When asked if they will be using the massive outside space / kitchen, just blank faces.

I know what you mean about the quietness of the complexes. They must film at like 5 in the morning!

Budget of £50k yet want a massive property.
C’mon people, be realistic!

I love it!! Its great escapist trash, my favourite presenter is Scarlett, she always looks like shes going out clubbing afterwards . and I like Laura because you can always tell when the people are winding her up

It does make me laugh when they go to a popular resort and say they want;
Lots of space
Three bedrooms
within walking distance of the resort
near the beach
Sea view
We have £50,000 to spend, yeah good luck with that mate.

I think a lot of times they seem to want a British home abroad, they don't seem to understand that for example Spanish interiors are darker to keep out the heat or that holiday apartments have smaller kitchens because people don't tend to cook as much when they're on holiday.

Oh and the ones who say they want traditional and authentic, but think the rooms are too small and dark and need modernising.

I don’t mind it, I love the escapism of it but what I always wonder is where do they get the money from, especially those with £200k or more to spend. It fascinates me.

Like who has that kind of money lying around!

Or they rave about the view, and it's some really scrubby, unattractive bit of Spain.

I reckon some are spending an inheritance having sold grandma's house.

I can also recommend House Hunters International, on HGTV at 7 am at weekends. Mainly Americans moving abroad, some renting and some buying, but a variety of locations which makes up for the formulaicness. They always complain about small rooms and want a kitchen updated last year.

A couple recently, on and on about wanting a great big living room to match the one they have at home...if you want to sit indoors every evening watching TV stay at home in Runcorn or Maidstone and don't bother with a hot country and sitting out on the terrace in the shade or the cool of the evening, or in the village square like locals do.

And couples with zero imagination, and yes, the scrubby views.

I'm probably just jealous.

I watch it and am always amazed when people say - oh it has far too much in it or that the colour on one wall is not to their taste.

Baffles me. As well as what others have posted!

I don't get the need for large indoor space either. Surely the point in moving to a hotter country is the outdoor living?

I have seen that Huse Hunters International too. A couple wanted a traditional town house in South of France but again turned everything down because the rooms were to small and they wanted an open plan kitchen.

I think a lot of the time they don't realise they will be buying a new lifestyle when they move to a foreign country.

And don't say you want traditional and quirky when you really want modern and open plan lol.

And yes I am jealous.

There was one couple who brought a house in the Caribbean, I can't remember if it was Antigua or St Lucia but it was unbelievable, so beautiful. The woman was crying it was so lovely. I'd have moved there in a heartbeat.

Apparently with Home Hunters International (which I love) they are people who have already picked their property abroad and they just get shown around others to make the show. That's why they never have problems actually getting the property at the end.

I love A Place in the Sun but I much prefer the more interesting ones, rather than yet another 2 bed by the pool in Spain. The empty pools always get me too! I also HATE when a property is marketed as with a "sea view" (and they all rave about it) when really what they mean is on the roof terrace if you stand on a chair and at 45° angle over the neighbours' washing line you can catch a glimpse against the horizon. If I'm paying for a sea view, I want lots of sea! That I can see sitting down!
Jasmine is my favourite. She wears the most inappropriate shoes for the job and gets so irate with people.

Jasmine is my favourite too. The Barbados ones are more interesting than Spain.
I was just thinking how much I like the presenters on Homes Under the Hammer too. I need to stop watching so much property-porn TV!

Agree with everything above!

Also baffled when elderly/somewhat infirm buyers are shown places that are on steep hillside villages and/or have 100 steps to get to the house and, even more weird, when the place has a spiral staircase. Why even bother looking?

The timewasting on showing the million £+ properties should be axed as well as meeting up with a British person who lives in the area - the goodbyes are so awkward as they go off in a different direction to presenter and buyer EVERY SINGLE time. The really old episodes shown on London Live are the best as local estate agents show the properties and there is less 'formula' to it. I hate the way the presenter hurries the buyers out of the room so they can have a whispery chat to the camera on whether this could be a real contender. I want a bit more unusual, different, interesting style/format for both presenting and areas chosen. As mentioned by other posters the same old 2 bed (very long-lounged) flats on purpose-built resorts now makes me turn off.

Love Jasmine, not so much Johnny.

I like the male presenters. Ben (Hillman?) has such an easy way with people.

And yes, the scrubby views! I watch it thinking 'are you shitting me?!'
Or the sea view where the cameraman is obviously using a close up lens

Should add that the female presenters are also lovely, although Jasmine always sounds like she has a cold (and her voice is a little whiny), and Laura is always a little too delighted on getting a rip-off level bargain.

@mscynical - I’m enjoying the reruns of A Place by the Sea on London Live.

I love it. Slightly obsessed as hoping to go on when we make the move to France.

I am always baffled by the strange price differentials in Spain though. A couple with a 150k budget gets shown some grotty finca renovation project but they find the couple with 75k a charming traditional house with a pool. I find it hard to see why one twin is better than another. Most seem to have similar amenities, weather’s good everywhere and no one is locating because of work or school - just show them the bargains.

"and the great views" shows dirt and rocks as far as the eye can see

My mental Bingo card while watching:

Walking into any half-decent room...'It's a good size'

Presenter, standing outside the property... 'What do you think? Do you like it?'
Buyers: 'We need to see inside first.'
Presenter: 'But do you love it? Is it a contender?'
Buyers:

Standing on the terrace...'I can picture myself out here with a glass of wine, hahaha'

Opening the wardrobes, the woman always says...'Great for my clothes, where are Steve's going to go?'

In Spain, inland...'We want REAL Spain, we want to immerse ourselves in the culture'

At the end...'Our budget is £100,000, they're asking £90,000, so we obviously won't go above £60,000'

How about the dreary twosome looking for a ‘wow factor’ on £20k in bloody Sunny Beach Bulgaria?

@SeeSawSeen

I think you may just have nailed it

Thanks @bloodyhairy ! I too have a complicated relationship with this programme...doesn't stop me hate-watching every time it's on, though!

Ditto!